


need you more than ever

by cinderlily



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-Mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2015-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-22 19:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4847936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderlily/pseuds/cinderlily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coming back from his mission had felt, a little, like coming home after being in space for two years. Not that Archie’d had any experience with that, at all, but it was the only thing he could think to compare it to. The things that felt so natural to him before he left felt weird at best, completely and absolutely surreal at worst. </p><p>That is, until Cook comes in and his world rights itself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	need you more than ever

Coming back from his mission had felt, a little, like coming home after being in space for two years. Not that Archie’d had any experience with that, at all, but it was the only thing he could think to compare it to. The things that felt so natural to him before he left felt weird at best, completely and absolutely surreal at worst. 

He found it worst when he was with his family. Never having been the one to initiate contact before, his family’s sudden need to be around him all the time felt suffocating and he felt so awful about it. He would apologize, even though they had no idea what he was doing it for. 

When he’d decided to do some work in Nashville he hadn’t thought about the fact that Cook would be there. He’d known, intellectually, that that was where Cook lived but the idea of hanging out with him wasn’t in the front of his mind until he got there. Then it happened, and by some miracle he found himself comfortable again. His brain went from numb and a million miles away to present. 

Cook gave him his confidence back, then gave him something more. With the slightest of touches and at a pace that he looked back on to realize was painfully slow, Cook brought him out of his shell and into a place of happiness he hadn’t had before. They were suddenly, or not so suddenly, something more. Then they were everything. 

He wouldn’t have thought before hand that he would ever date Cook, but he there he was. Living in Nashville, at Cook’s house. Writing music he was so extremely proud of. Being himself for the first time since he’d come back. 

It was Cook who talked him into going back onto the stage. He’d told him that it wasn’t a good idea, that he wasn’t ready. But after his song in Utah, he figured he might as well give it a try. 

Before he left, being on stage had felt like his least favorite part of the job.He always felt the weird urge to hide himself whenever he could. To make himself smaller somehow, to hide behind the piano or the mike stand. He’d always needed a shield. 

He’d been afraid when he got back, that the stage would be ruined for him still, but he was thankful to not have that happen. He told Cook as much, but had been rebuffed in his fears saying that he was meant to be on stage and that the only thing he should fear was kicking ass and taking names. (Cook’s words, definitely not his.) 

When he’d walked on stage the first time on his own, though, he found that Cook was right. That he was in a different place. That the stage was … his own. His space to actually work and enjoy. He felt the thrum of adrenaline in his system like air in his lungs. 

What made it better, he knew, was that Cook was there. Not in the crowd, they weren’t that crazy, but off stage, just where Archie could see if he wanted to see him. Which he did. 

He let the concert go on with the a steady rhythm. His fans were amazing, a living breathing part of his show. It was electric. He liked the way that they fed off his energy and he could feed off theirs in return. 

“I know you guys must hear this a lot,” he said, speaking loud to get over the screams of the crowd. “But you guys are an amazing crowd Nashville.” 

Another surge of cacophonous noise. He raised both of his hands and couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Shh, please.” They obliged, mostly. “I figured maybe it would be nice for me to return some of the love you are giving me.” 

He turned his head and saw the moment Cook clicked with him. Cook tilted his head and mouthed, ‘Really?’ (Or maybe he said it aloud, who could tell?) Archie nodded. 

“Would it be okay if I brought someone out for you?” 

The crowd screamed, and he swore he could hear at least a few voices belting out 'COOOK!' but he just smiled and waved Cook out. The noise, if possible, got to a new pitch. He saw people genuinely screaming and for a moment he second guessed himself, all the way until he saw the smile on Cook’s face. The way he looked so calm and relaxed and happy. 

He was putting an earwig in, so maybe his crew was entirely too good for him and could read his mind without a problem. Either that or Cook was that good. 

Cook waved at the crowd and walked over to where Archie stood to share the microphone. (Even though he knew there were spare ones everywhere.) 

“Hey there,” Cook smiled widely at the crowd. “Fancy meeting you here.” 

“They’ve been such a good crowd,” Archie smiled directly at Cook, and the noise seemed to ebb in his mind instead focusing in on just he and Cook. “I was kind of hoping we could give them what they really want.” 

Cook turned his head away from the crowd just enough to leer at Archie for a split second. “What they _really_ want? What is that?” 

Archie, embarrassingly enough, could feel himself going red at the base of his cheeks. He shook his head slightly, just barely keeping the word _Cooook_ from escaping his lips. Instead he smiled. “Well, you have made me sing _Crush_ at your concert…” 

“ _Something happened for the first time, what a rush…_ ,” Cook singsonged and Archie shoved at him. 

“Cook, that’s not what I meant.” 

The crowd cheered chanting ‘MORE!’

“You guys aren’t helping!” he laughed, he fiddled with the keys of his piano and played a few chords hoping to entice the crowd. “I was _going_ to ask him to play one of his songs.” 

A girl near the front seemed to actually swoon, which was concerning, but her friend caught her and pushed her back to standing. Cook saw the same thing and let out his barking laugh. “Ah man, I don’t think I’ve gotten a girl to swoon yet. Look at this ladies man.” 

The crowd cheered and he blushed more. He ignored Cook and started the piano again, softly playing the intro and then looking at Cook who just raised an eyebrow. He pointed at him and shrugged, a simple action as if to say, “You first.” 

That was not part of his original plan but … he rarely told Cook no. He started it for the third time and this time when it got to the lyrics he leaned into the microphone. “ _Here in this crowd I’m feeling all alone_....” 

Cook beamed at him, and suddenly he felt Cook’s hand on the base of his back. The casual touch seemed so very intimate, something they rarely did in public but instead saved for each other. He stuttered over the next line but caught back up another line in. By the time he got to the chorus, the crowd and Cook joined in. 

“ _Life on the moon couldn't be any stranger_ ,” Cook’s mouth was inches away from his, their breath mingling together. “ _Life on the moon wouldn't feel this far away?The life that I knew is through and I'm gonna need you more than ever... I'm alone in this crowded room, its like life on the moon..._ ” 

He felt the lyrics humming in his chest, spreading out from his rib cage to every bit of his skin. He felt it through Cook’s hand on his back and through the way that Cook’s eyes would flick to his and his smile would become a little smaller, a little more **Cook**. 

He felt pure happiness, he felt something even more than that. He felt, in the truest sense of the word, _home_.

**Author's Note:**

> Written backwards, after forcing 750 words out suddenly two lines stuck out to me and I started over again. hopefully you like it. Let me know if I messed up as I didn't use a beta. 
> 
> Songs used was "Life on the Moon" and "Crush" by Cook and Archuleta respectively. I own nothing but the story as per usual.


End file.
